Verses from Scripture to Bring to Work Today - continued
Last time we presented some verses from Ecclisiasticus Chapter 12 that we could bring with us to work. Today we'll continue with more verses.
Before thou inquire, blame no man: and when thou hear, answer not a word...
As a rule, it's best not to look to blame others when things go wrong, especially when they negatively effect you. A counter-party to a transaction we were working on recently accused a colleague and I of delaying progress in executing the transaction. In fact, the counter-party had, over many months, acted in such ways that the transaction was interminably delayed. Still, when accused, I paused to see if indeed, in this one instance, I or my colleague had in any way done anything to cause a delay. As it turned out, we didn't. But our consideration of the matter allowed us to respond in a detailed and dispassionate manner that deflected the accusation. At that point, we could have taken the further step of putting the blame back where it belonged. But we didn't. What would that have accomplished? Our goal was to get the transaction completed, not waste time pointing fingers.
Now, it may be the case that the words or actions of someone else do indeed cause you harm; or, at work, maybe they create a problem that you now have to deal with. In that case, though, be slow to point the finger until you're sure you've identified the culprit or culprits.
...and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse.
When speaking with a boss or colleague, develop good listening skills. Don't be quick to respond, especially if your response is intended to show how much you know. Just listen; think about what the other person says; then, maybe, you'll have something intelligent, or of value, to say. At the very least, learn not to interrupt another when they're speaking. You may think you know what they're going to say; indeed, you may actually know what they're going to say. But what does it hurt to let them say it themselves. Again, are you trying to show how smart or quick-witted you are? Isn't that just being self-centered?
Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee...
"Mind your own business" springs to mind with this verse. It's a handy phrase, isn't it? Some people need to hear it - over and over again. We describe such folks as "nosey." I've never understood nosey people. Being someone who's content with knowing what I need to know, those who have to know everything they can about everyone puzzle me. In some cases, of course, people nose into your business because they're looking for information they can use as leverage. I've encountered people at work who are so ambitious, so cut-throat, they seek and use any information they can get to advance their careers. The most common method employed is gossip. They'll "let slip" little tidbits about you that they've observed or gleaned from conversations where you're not on your guard and your tongue blurts out something it shouldn't. The purpose: damage your image, your credibility; undermine your authority (if you're a boss); cause people to think you're not as competent, honest, or trustworthy as you seem. The list is virtually endless but it's meant to elevate their standing in the company by lowering someone else's (in this case, yours). In worst cases, they'll simple lie about you, of course. But that's not the usual method. It's more common that nosey people who mean you harm are, at heart, more snake or rat. They'll do their worst without confrontation.
If, for whatever reason, you've got the itch to be nosey, well, you're better off just scratching that nose, or, even better, cutting it off.
My son, meddle not with many matters...
This one's different than the previous exhortation. That one's addressing matters that are none of your business. This one's urging us to focus on our own business, with the idea that sufficient for the day are the tasks at hand. On a practical level, for most of us our daily portion should be enough. If you've got more to do than hours to do it, you should appreciate this advice from the get go. Who has time to notice, never mind get involved with the affairs of others?
The phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" comes to mind here too. At work, it's generally the case that your value depends on some skill or expertise in a relatively limited sphere of activity. That's not to say you shouldn't develop additional skills to expand your horizons. In some cases, it may be necessary. If you were an expert horse and buggy repair guy when the automobile became popular, you may have wanted to learn to be an auto mechanic instead, right? But you'd do well to sharpen your particular skill or skills in your little neck of the woods and not try to take on the world.
My favorite verse of all, though, is:
In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things.
When things are going well, it can seem like they'll stay that way forever; when you're on a losing streak, the same applies. But anyone with more than a few years in this world knows that's not how things go. A recent stark example: The son of a professional colleague was severely injured, the result of an accident. The young man is both physically and - it seems - mentally damaged. While his initial paralysis has improved somewhat with therapy, his mental acuity has not. We pray for his complete recovery, of course, but we just don't know what the future holds. This colleague makes a really good living based on a highly developed expertise in trading, one that relies on his superior brain power and ability to focus and make quick decisions. The material success he's enjoyed for years is dependent on his continued performance. But now his time and attention has, of necessity, been shifted much of the day to his son's situation. The accident came out of the blue, as you might imagine. The impact on this colleague is just taking hold. Depending on how all of this unfolds, the good times may not roll as easy as they have - at least for a while.
We've all seen and experienced the vicissitudes of life. No matter our current circumstances, all we can really do is our best - and prepare for the worst. After that, we rely in God.
Our daily Scripture reading will sometimes yield bits of good advice like these to bring to work with us. They can help us do our best, thereby possibly achieving greater material and professional success. But more importantly, reading God's Word can help us more naturally rely on God, rather than only ourselves, no matter our current or future fortune.
Before thou inquire, blame no man: and when thou hear, answer not a word...
As a rule, it's best not to look to blame others when things go wrong, especially when they negatively effect you. A counter-party to a transaction we were working on recently accused a colleague and I of delaying progress in executing the transaction. In fact, the counter-party had, over many months, acted in such ways that the transaction was interminably delayed. Still, when accused, I paused to see if indeed, in this one instance, I or my colleague had in any way done anything to cause a delay. As it turned out, we didn't. But our consideration of the matter allowed us to respond in a detailed and dispassionate manner that deflected the accusation. At that point, we could have taken the further step of putting the blame back where it belonged. But we didn't. What would that have accomplished? Our goal was to get the transaction completed, not waste time pointing fingers.
Now, it may be the case that the words or actions of someone else do indeed cause you harm; or, at work, maybe they create a problem that you now have to deal with. In that case, though, be slow to point the finger until you're sure you've identified the culprit or culprits.
...and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse.
When speaking with a boss or colleague, develop good listening skills. Don't be quick to respond, especially if your response is intended to show how much you know. Just listen; think about what the other person says; then, maybe, you'll have something intelligent, or of value, to say. At the very least, learn not to interrupt another when they're speaking. You may think you know what they're going to say; indeed, you may actually know what they're going to say. But what does it hurt to let them say it themselves. Again, are you trying to show how smart or quick-witted you are? Isn't that just being self-centered?
Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee...
"Mind your own business" springs to mind with this verse. It's a handy phrase, isn't it? Some people need to hear it - over and over again. We describe such folks as "nosey." I've never understood nosey people. Being someone who's content with knowing what I need to know, those who have to know everything they can about everyone puzzle me. In some cases, of course, people nose into your business because they're looking for information they can use as leverage. I've encountered people at work who are so ambitious, so cut-throat, they seek and use any information they can get to advance their careers. The most common method employed is gossip. They'll "let slip" little tidbits about you that they've observed or gleaned from conversations where you're not on your guard and your tongue blurts out something it shouldn't. The purpose: damage your image, your credibility; undermine your authority (if you're a boss); cause people to think you're not as competent, honest, or trustworthy as you seem. The list is virtually endless but it's meant to elevate their standing in the company by lowering someone else's (in this case, yours). In worst cases, they'll simple lie about you, of course. But that's not the usual method. It's more common that nosey people who mean you harm are, at heart, more snake or rat. They'll do their worst without confrontation.
If, for whatever reason, you've got the itch to be nosey, well, you're better off just scratching that nose, or, even better, cutting it off.
My son, meddle not with many matters...
This one's different than the previous exhortation. That one's addressing matters that are none of your business. This one's urging us to focus on our own business, with the idea that sufficient for the day are the tasks at hand. On a practical level, for most of us our daily portion should be enough. If you've got more to do than hours to do it, you should appreciate this advice from the get go. Who has time to notice, never mind get involved with the affairs of others?
The phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" comes to mind here too. At work, it's generally the case that your value depends on some skill or expertise in a relatively limited sphere of activity. That's not to say you shouldn't develop additional skills to expand your horizons. In some cases, it may be necessary. If you were an expert horse and buggy repair guy when the automobile became popular, you may have wanted to learn to be an auto mechanic instead, right? But you'd do well to sharpen your particular skill or skills in your little neck of the woods and not try to take on the world.
My favorite verse of all, though, is:
In the day of good things be not unmindful of evils: and in the day of evils be not unmindful of good things.
When things are going well, it can seem like they'll stay that way forever; when you're on a losing streak, the same applies. But anyone with more than a few years in this world knows that's not how things go. A recent stark example: The son of a professional colleague was severely injured, the result of an accident. The young man is both physically and - it seems - mentally damaged. While his initial paralysis has improved somewhat with therapy, his mental acuity has not. We pray for his complete recovery, of course, but we just don't know what the future holds. This colleague makes a really good living based on a highly developed expertise in trading, one that relies on his superior brain power and ability to focus and make quick decisions. The material success he's enjoyed for years is dependent on his continued performance. But now his time and attention has, of necessity, been shifted much of the day to his son's situation. The accident came out of the blue, as you might imagine. The impact on this colleague is just taking hold. Depending on how all of this unfolds, the good times may not roll as easy as they have - at least for a while.
We've all seen and experienced the vicissitudes of life. No matter our current circumstances, all we can really do is our best - and prepare for the worst. After that, we rely in God.
Our daily Scripture reading will sometimes yield bits of good advice like these to bring to work with us. They can help us do our best, thereby possibly achieving greater material and professional success. But more importantly, reading God's Word can help us more naturally rely on God, rather than only ourselves, no matter our current or future fortune.
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